The making of a bed is, of course, a chore known and underappreciated by just about everyone. The process is typically monotonously the same. First a fitted sheet is secured to a mattress, then a second sheet is tucked into the base and sides of the mattress. Pillows, blankets, and comforters complete the arrangement. And when sheets become soiled the process must be repeated again and again.
Many attempts have been made to improve the process as is evident from the following patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,389 discloses a “Bed Sheet”. The patent teaches connecting a portion of a top sheet 12 (FIG. 1) and a bottom sheet 14 (FIG. 1) together for placement on a mattress, “whereby said mattress cover is suited for use on a bed positioned against a wall because said top sheet is automatically installed on the mattress when said bottom sheet is secured to the mattress, and said second side edge of said top sheet requires little or no manual tucking either underneath the mattress or between the mattress and the wall”, col. 5, claim 1.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,424 discloses a “Bedding Arrangement”. The patent teaches a removable mattress cover 10 being releasably secured to a mattress (FIG. 2). A rectangular insulated cover 12 (FIG. 1) being releasably secured to said mattress, and a sheet or folder 20 (FIG. 3) with fastener means cooperating with said insulated cover so that “[w]hen it is desired to change the liner or sheet panels, they are easily detached from the releasable fastener means of the mattress cover and covering, an operation which does not require access to the rear side of the bed”, col. 2, lines 16-20.
U.S. Patent No. 2003/0000014 A1 discloses an “Easy-Change Mattress Safety Sheet System”. The patent teaches a bottom base sheet 8 (FIG. 2) and a removable top sheet 9 (FIG. 2) for covering a mattress “attached by simple attaching means”, paragraph [0021]. “The simple attaching means can be . . . a zipper, Velcro, or a plurality of snaps”, paragraph [0023].
U.K. Patent Application No. 2,672,607 A discloses “Bed Clothing”. The application discloses a blanket 10 with an underlayer 12 being releasably secured to a mattress 16 via pockets 14 at each corner of the underlayer. The underlayer is permanently secured at one end 20 to a substantially same sized upper layer 18.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,162 B1 discloses “Bedding Elements”. The patent teaches “T” shaped first and second main piece covers for bedding elements 102R and 103R (FIG. 1) which when combined can secure one or more comforters. Flaps 117 with detachable contact means can secure the cover to a mattress.
U.S. Patent No. US 2003/0177579 A1 discloses a “Quick Change Bed Sheet Set”. The patent teaches enclosing a mattress 100 in a bottom sheet 20 and a top sheet 30 with a waterproof panel 40 positioned in between (FIG. 1). The top and bottom sheets are releasably secured using zippers, button holes, snaps or Velcro (paragraph [0032]). The waterproof panel and upper sheet can be removed for cleaning while leaving the lower sheet in place connected to the mattress.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,171 B1 discloses a “Bed Sheet And Blanket Combination For Accommodating Differing Sleeper Preferences”. The patent teaches a bed sheet and blanket combination wherein half of a queen or king sized bed sheet contains a pocket for securing a blanket for use when needed for warmth. The Blanket is easily removed when the bed sheet is washed. The pocket within the bed sheet can be releasably affixed in a variety of ways, including hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro.
While the above noted patents describe useful devices and methods for dealing with this housekeeping routing, they do not envision the simplicity and ease of use the invention detailed below provides for the extremely wide variety of applications that can and do pertain.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a rapid bedding system.
A further object of the invention is to provide a rapid bedding system wherein the removal of top and bottom sheets is accomplished in one step.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a rapid bedding system wherein a soiled sheet is removed without walking around the bed.
Still another object is to provide a rapid bedding system wherein a soiled sheet is removed without lifting the mattress.
Yet another object is to provide a rapid bedding system wherein in the case of a bunk bed, clean sheets can be applied without lifting the mattress or climbing onto the mattress.
An additional object is to provide a rapid bedding system wherein a top and bottom sheet can be applied in one step.
A further object is to provide a rapid bedding system wherein changing the bed sheets can be done with little strength and/or finger dexterity, a feature especially helpful to the disabled and/or elderly.